Drainage pile



Nov. 17, 1953 A. P. JouRDAlN DRAINAGE PILE Filed May 22, 1948 Patented Nov. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcEf y t t y 2,659,203v I d Y ,DRAINAGE PILE c f Andr Paul Jourdain, Brussels, Belgium, assignm- 1 to Compagnie Internationale 'des Pieux Arme- Frankignoul, Socit Anonyme, Liege, Belgium Application May 22, 194s, serial No. 28,695

Claims priority, application France October 21, 1947 3 Claims. (Cl. 61-11) 1 A My present invention relates to processes of draining water from a watery ground and to drainage piles for carrying out these processes.

My present invention is particularly adapted for drainage of water from watery soil or ground having a low water permeability, as for instance clay and clay-containing soils. y

It is an object of my present invention to expedite drainage of water from ground and soils of the above described type.

It is a further object of my present invention to obtain more complete drainage of water from watery ground or soil than was possible hitherto by known methods.

It is another object of my present invention to provide new means for draining water, particularly new types of drainage piles, by which it is possible to carry out my new processes particularly well.

With the above objects in View, my present invention mainly consists of a process of draining water from watery ground by making within this watery ground at least one porous pile extending downwardly into the ground.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment ofv my present invention, my new process is carried out by making within the watery ground at least one porous pile extending downwardly within said watery ground, and exerting pressure on said watery ground aroundgsaid porous pile so as to force said water contained in said watery ground to enter said porous pile and to travel within the same to the surface of said lwatery ground.

Particularly good results were obtained byV making within the watery ground at least one downwardly extending hole, filling the same with a porous material so as to form within said hole a porous pile extendingy downwardly within said watery ground, and exerting pressure on said watery ground around the thus Vformed porous pile, thereby forcing water contained in said watery ground to enter said porous pile and to travel within the same upward to the surface of said watery ground.

Various types ,of drainage piles might be used for'my above 'defined processes.` Thus, for instance, it is possible to use a' drainage'pile'w-lii'ch` consists entirely of loose porous material. However, better results were obtained by using` ,a drainage pile composed of a-porous bottom section, a non-porous top porous bottom section, and longitudinal passages` through said `non-porous Atop section reachingV of the drainedV ground due to the loose porous` material incorporated therein by injecting a hardening binder uid into this loose porousv material, i. e., into the porous pile or piles after theY watery ground has been drained, thereby hardening the loose porous material and the piles composedby it. n

The novel features which I consider as characteristic for my invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of speciic embodiments wgen read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:` Fig. 1 is a vertical section through an arrangement for draining watery soil by means of porous piles of the type proposed by me;

Fig. 2 shows three stages in the production of a porous pile; and

Figs. 3 to 10y show vertical sections throughv various modifications of the in Figs. 1 and 2. Y

Figure 1 represents soil reclaimed by filling up a bay at the seashore. The soil formerly under water consists of very ne silt I. The weight of the fill 2 subjects this to high compression in direction of arrows a, butthe packing effect'is porous piles shown normally very slow because of the low permea.

bility of the soil l. The manner of Aconstruction and application of the porous piles 3 makes it possible to remove the water easily through the drains affordedby the piles, utilizing the pressure' in direction of the arrows a to accelerate the draining flow of the water as indicated by the arrows b. The compression of Vthe-soil `resulting from incorporating into it a large quantity of sand, will operate in the same direction as thepressure of the ll 2 and accelerate its action. The hole made vin the soil torreceive a pile is section resting upon said.

preferably produced by ramming rather than by excavating.

Furthermore, it is of advantage to construct kthe pile by forcibly ramming the sand into the soil, i. e. by subjecting the sand ot shocks in order to force it into the soil. By temporarily eliminating or reducing internal friction, and by setting up pressure waves in the soil, such shocks may also expedite the expulsion of water.

Figure-2 shows -a method of making -a porous pile: A pipe 4 is 'driven into the soil down to the desired depth, preferably by pounding with a ram 5 on a plug 6 arranged at the bottom end of the pipe. This plug 6, which consists of stone or concrete is knocked out when the pipe reaches the desired depth so as to form the base of the pile underground; then sand orsimilar `loose material is introduced into the tube, and the pipe is removed while ramming the same to form the porous pile 1. The sand may b`e-'introdu'ce`d in van aqueous suspension so as to resist the fpressure of the soil.

The term sand as used above is to beunderstood to denne separatel particles of any 'sub'- stance forming a porous lmass.

Where the watery 'soil of flow permeability is not -Talr'eaciy subject to jeinst-,ing "pressure, `a lodindica'ted 'in Fig. 3 by Varrow c-may be applied 'to "theporous pile `8 'thus exerting pressure on the surrounding soil 'and accelerating the drainage `of 'water along the paths indicated 'by arrows b.

Th'e pile according to my present invention :hay also 'consist of a l`ow`er porous Ysection 9 the soil'afs shown in Fig. 4 and an upper non-:porous 'section Il; prefabricated, e. g. of non,po-rims concrete; this upper section l0 is provided with one or more vlongitudinal passages `l l.A

It is 'also possible to prefabrica't'e the entire pile as shown in Fig. 5; this pile consists e. g. of a 'porous concrete section lf2 and a non-porous seetion I3, the latter being pro-vided with drains obviously, "a pile 4vmay alsogconsist 'of a 'sun larger niirnbe'r of sections-alternately porous and non-porous; the latter have to be provided with conduits. t may lalso be 'prefabrica'ted in one piece.v

Figure '6 shows a drainage pile completely nalned into "the'soil, vsection l'5 being of sand'or the like porous material and section f6 consisting of concrete. The perforated pipes l1 are provided for drainage Yof the water. These last may simultaneously form the longitudinal 'member's of 'a reinforcing framework.

If the pile is subsequently to Acarry a permanent load, a binding fluid of a suitable kind may be added after a sufficient degree of drainage of the soil has been obtained, in order to form a foundation pier. This hardening fluid may be introduced through the perforated conduits provided in the porous pile, e. g. through the conduits Il, i4 or the pipes Il.

Figure '7 shows a pile having la base i8 rammed into the `soil and a prefabricated non-porous core I9, e. g. of reinforced concrete, anchored by means of projecting prongs into concrete poured on top Aof the base vI8 before removal of a surrounding pipe; this pipe has been previously -introduced into the --soil as described above. During the removal of this pipe, the free space around fthe core I9 is nlled with sand or like porous material 20, preferably by ramming.

8 4slwvvs va similar drainage pile, but pro- 4 vided with a load 2| applied through an annular crown 22. In this manner pressure is exerted on the surrounding soil, and the pile, particularly its porous section, adapts itself completely to the packing of the soil. Drainage of the water is eiected by means of conduits 21 provided in the crown 22 or in the periphery of the core I9. The centering of the crown 22 is assured by the core I8. Such a drainage pile is especially suited for sustaining Ya Ipermanent load.

The core "lSlinly be replaced byf'afshaft of concrete poured on location, e. g. by means oi a tubular mold arranged inside of the above described ramming tube which serves to produce inthe'soil the hole necessary for the pile.

I n'case a load -is applied to the drainage pile, and the upper layer of the ground is such as to yproducea tendency towards excessive lateral displacement of a` material such as sand, this disadvantage 'may b'e'overcome by the use of a rigid element (suchfas lll, i3, I6, 22) to form the uppermost section of the pile.

,It is also possible as shown in Fig. 9 to drive this rigid element into a mass of sand 23 introduced into the holeform'ed in the soil, using such forms 'shown in Figs. 9 'and l0, i. l`e. `plugin the )form a :Cylinder 24 "or 5a Gone '25 topped by a'cylindr'ieal head V42li, this "plug being provided with radial 'conduits 4opening into at least one vertical passage. Y

Obviously the p'o'ros piles, 'according to lny present invention, may be designed in "a 'great variety yof "slt-apes Tall 'constituting porous piles permitting 'vertical drainage of 'waiter from the soil accelerated by pressure 'lirted upon it.

It Willfbe understood Ythat'each of the elements described above, or two 0i more together, Wray also rind a useful application in other types of processes of eliminating water from 4inat-erials dil'erng from the types dscrbediabbve.

While I halve lillustlated and 'described 4the invention as embodied in 'drainageprocesses I do not intend to be limited to vthe 'details shown, since various modifications and structural changesr'nay be made without 'departing in `any way from the 'spirit of 'my invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the 'gist ofiny invention that others can by applying current knowledge'readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, `from the standpoint 'of prior art. fairly constitute essential chanacteristics of 'the generic or specific aspects 'of this invention and therefore, such 'adaptations should and are intended to be coinprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What I claim as ynew and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

-1. -A porous draining pile, comprising in coinbination, a central non-porous core; ya porous body vsurrounding said central 'non-porous core except the upper portion thereof; a crown arranged above said porous` body and surrounding the upper portion of said central nim-porous core; 'and conduitsin said crown.

2. A porous draining pile, comprising in combination, a central ynon-porous core; a porous body surrounding Vsaid central non-porous core except the upper portion thereof.; a crown arranged yabove said porous body and surrounding the upperportion of said central non-porous core; a-load resting on said crown; and -conduits in'said crown.

3. VA -porous draining pile, comprising xin combination, a base rammed into the soil; a -preconduits in said crown.

5 fabricated non-porous central core arranged FOREIGN PATENTS above said base; reinforcements in said core pro- Number Country Date jecting into said base; a porous body surround- 457,785 Germany of 1923 ing said central non-porous core except. the 511,013 Germany of 1930 upper portion thereof; a crown arranged above 5 515 595 Germany of 1931 said porous body and surrounding the upper 3111122 man, of 1933 portion of said central non-porous core; and 102,311

Sweden of 1941 ANDR PAUL JOURDAIN. Y K

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,355,066 Smith Oct. 5, 1920 15 1.598.300 Moran Aug. 31, 1926 

